Deborah A. Mans
Baykeeper & Executive Director
NY/NJ Baykeeper
Estuary Advocacy Award
Debbie Mans has been Baykeeper and Executive Director of NY/NJ Baykeeper since April, 2008. NY/NJ
Baykeeper is the citizen guardian of the NY-NJ Harbor Estuary. Since 1989, NY/NJ Baykeeper has worked to
protect, preserve, and restore the environment of one of the most urban estuaries on Earth – benefiting its
natural and human communities.
While at NY/NJ Baykeeper, Debbie has worked with her fantastic colleagues to successfully sue the NJ De-
partment of Environmental Protection to upgrade its Combined Sewer Outfall permit and overturn restrictive
public access requirements; restored millions of oysters to local waterways and build the first living shoreline
project in Raritan Bay; helped preserve and restore more than forty properties that total more than 2,500
acres of urban open space, including a new county park; run two pump out boats that have prevented thou-
sands of gallons of waste from being discharge overboard; conducted the first trawl for micro-plastics in NY
Harbor and pushed for legislation to reduce plastic pollution in our local waterways; and co-chaired the Pas-
saic River Superfund Community Advisory Group (CAG), which recently celebrated the announcement by US
Environmental Protection Agency on a comprehensive clean-up of the lower eight miles of the Passaic River
– one of the largest clean-ups in the country.
Prior to joining NY/NJ Baykeeper, Debbie was the Environmental and Energy Policy Advisor for New Jersey
Governor Jon S. Corzine. Debbie’s work included advising on environmental and energy policies, regulations
and initiatives. She was also appointed by Governor Corzine to the New Jersey State Planning Commission,
a state-wide appointed board that oversees the implementation of the State Development and Redevelop-
ment Act.
Prior to working for the Governor’s Office, Debbie was the Policy Director at NY/NJ Baykeeper, a position she
held from 2002 through 2006. There she developed legal and environmental policies and programs to pro-
mote NY/NJ Baykeeper’s mission and goals.
Debbie is a graduate of The University of Michigan and holds a J.D. from Vermont Law School. Debbie is the
Chair of the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters and the Treasurer of the New Jersey League of Con-
servation Voters Education Fund.
